Real Madrid’s Valverde decision may have blocked Rodri transfer, report says

Real Madrid wanted to sell Federico Valverde during the summer 2026 transfer window, but the Uruguay midfielder refused to leave despite having a contract with the club until 2029, according to a report.

The claim was made by journalist Miguel Latigo Serrano of OK Diario, whose comments were published by Defensa Central. He said Valverde exercised his contractual rights and made it clear that he would not consider a move away from the Santiago Bernabeu.

“Real Madrid wanted to sell Valverde this summer,” Serrano said. “But what happened was that the player, exercising his employment rights to fulfil his contract, said something along the lines of: ‘I will not leave under any circumstances.’”

Valverde’s position came after an incident involving Aurelien Tchouameni. The two midfielders became involved in a heated altercation which ended with Tchouameni striking his team-mate.

Valverde was taken to hospital and diagnosed with concussion. He missed several matches before returning in the closing rounds of La Liga, wearing a small bandage over a wound on his forehead.

Real Madrid subsequently opened disciplinary proceedings against both players and fined them up to 500,000 euros. It was described as the first incident of its kind at the club.

The midfielders’ performances and roles were heavily criticised at the time, with sections of the Real Madrid support calling for both players to leave during the summer transfer window. Neither departure took place, however, and manager Jose Mourinho was the first to welcome the possibility of relying on Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni in his squad.

Rodri interest delayed

Serrano suggested Valverde’s refusal to leave may have contributed to Real Madrid failing to sign Rodri during the same summer.

“At the club, they moved late for Rodri because they did not trust him,” said Serrano, who runs a YouTube channel with more than 50,000 subscribers. “It was a deal prompted by the supporters, a transfer based on an opinion poll.”

He added: “They wanted to sell Valverde, but he did not want to leave. Real Madrid therefore found themselves obliged to keep Valverde.”

However, Rodri offered a different account of the club’s pursuit of him. The former Manchester City player said Real Madrid had shown interest from the beginning and had handled the negotiations properly.

“From my position, I have to say that Real Madrid showed interest from the very first moment and that they acted perfectly,” Rodri told Cadena COPE. “The offers they made were aimed at signing the player, and I also want to make that clear.”

Mourinho also publicly stated that Real Madrid had insisted on signing Rodri. According to the report, though, the player’s hesitation became an obstacle to completing his move to the Santiago Bernabeu.